Guilty by Association
by Disturbedvixen
Summary: Focus on YoukoxBotan(darkfic)She wants a prince-charming he wanted to escape. They find this in each other. The only problem is that everything is working against them. The catch is that she's afraid he only likes her because of her charm's powers.
1. KARASU: Hiring by force

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything! If I did, you wouldn't be here reading my drivel.

**_The title will tell who's POV it's in. In case you don't read the titles, I have it written in Bold at the top before the chapter. I'll try to come up with actual titles too. If you pay attention to this fic, please note that the title and the summary might change since I don't have a complete idea of how this story will start and end. I'll just write it on a whim so that means suggestions are welcome! Flames are acceptable as long as you have a reason to your flame. If you flame for a good reason, then I'll explain it or I'll try to fix it in the next chapter._**

**Note:** Throughout this, you'll probably start to wonder whether Karasu likes Kurama more than natural for two guys. Just to let you know ahead of time, Karasu only does this to annoy Kurama. He's a sadist freak and he knows Kurama is somewhat the same way. It's fun for him to see know that Youko Kurama sees that he, Karasu, has more power over the fox demon. So, now that that's done with, please read on! If you have questions, please let me know!

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=======**Karasu**=======

His breath creating white clouds was the only intrusion in the wintry air. Every psychical movement made no sound. His tail swished with silent excitement. Only a few steps were left until his hands could rest upon the gold chest inlaid with rubies and emeralds. A smile touched his lips. Of course this was too easy for him. Only twenty demons had been guarding this chest… 'had been' because he had killed them all off.

Twenty guards for such a small chest meant the treasure within was valuable. You could always tell how valuable a known treasure was, depending on how many cronies guarded them. Even I knew this. I was hardly a thief, but my prey was. He is known and feared as the great Youko Kurama. How can he not notice me? I stand barely three feet behind him…

At last his fingers were able to brush against the cool metal. His smile grew wider. Naturally the chest was locked with some sort of fancy device. That was only half of the fun I suppose—figuring out how to open the chest. The other half was killing whatever weakling there was guarding it. It was amazing to see that there were countless ways to die at his hands alone. That's why I am drawn to him. He was almost as dangerous as I was.

"Youko Kurama…I've got you at last," I said smoothly. I didn't want to wait any longer. I enjoyed the look in his eyes. He hadn't expected this. He had thought he was alone. Acting without thinking clearly was the downfall to many thieves. I believe that he had survived this long only because of his skills rather than wit.

Kurama barely had time to blink. I pressed my knee into his back, grinding his face into the snow-covered ground. I didn't want to harm him now. His time would come later. He struggled against the hold, his silvery tail swishing wildly. "Get off of me!" he spat. Plants came from under the snow, taking a monstrous form. Each plant grew a hungry, snapping mouth.

"Come now, Kurama. There's no need for violence." I raised my hand, creating an explosive with my Reiki and destroyed them on impact. To him, it must have looked like they were shredded for no visible reason. "Keep these things away and there will be no need for your face to be marred."

He cringed as I my fingers skimmed his milky cheeks. I smiled at his discomfort. How I longed to torture him…to see the fire behind those eyes I so admire dwindle as I shattered his pride. His plants, reacting from his need to escape, rose again. They reached out with hungry mouths, tearing away at my flesh. I looked at my arm where the plant had torn a sizeable chunk. Blood had already begun to escape into the open air at an alarming rate. I ignored it. I couldn't die from a flesh would such as this. I allowed the blood to seep through his robe. He knew that it was blood, but I'm sure he was waiting for an anguished cry as his plant ripped through my flesh. He would hear no such thing from me.

"I said that there was no need for violence," I repeated. He would have to know that I would always have the upper hand. I laughed as a scowl creases his brow. I buried my hands into his silver locks. I pulled on them, enjoying the pain that I brought to him. "I warn you one last time. Keep the plants away." With that, the plants exploded into fragments of green.

I allowed him to move to a sitting position. He rubbed the cheek that had been buried into the snow. I could only imagine how it felt to the touch—cool and damp. I longed to touch his cheeks again and to see the look of disgust in those eyes. He glared at me in silent rage. _'How dare you do that to me?'_ they said to me. I could only smile at him.

"Who are you?" he said at last.

"I am known as Karasu."

He nodded faintly. "Crow…I see. It suits you just fine—annoying and coming when and where you're unwanted." He stood up and shook the snow off of his robes. "You interrupted my fun. You'll have to pay for that." He crossed his arms.

I didn't move. I still sat cross-legged on the damp ground idly. Around me, a couple of plants sprouted. These looked more dangerous than the previous ones. Was I worried? Feh…worry and fear are two emotions I haven't felt since my childhood. I looked at them curiously. "What are these called?" I asked mildly.

"Kyojiki. It's a more hybrid form of the Venus flytrap. This can swallow an average sized demon such as you with no problem."

I clapped to annoy him further. "Wonderful. Can it do tricks as well?"

"If feasting on your body counts, then yes."

"They aren't going anywhere near me," I said easily. My eyes locked on his. I was pleased with his reaction. He was able to meet my eyes without flinching or looking away—this was very rare. It made me admire this eccentric creature even more. I hated to hurt him, but it was a rule with me. When I liked something, I usually have it taken away. Eventually Youko Kurama would be disposed of after I've had my time with him. I sat silently, watching him eye me curiously. He was unable to see the Reiki bombs surrounding him. "Move an inch and you're body will be blasted into pieces."

"I don't need to move to destroy you."

The Kyojiki flew at me. I raised a hand at them, allowing the Reiki bombs destroy the Kyojiki. I beamed at him. Now fear was beginning to bleed into his eyes. It was delicious. "Why do you want to open a chest when you haven't a clue of what lies inside?" I asked, lowering my hand.

"I'm a thief. That's what I do."

"Mmm," I muttered dismissively. "I know this. What if I show you what lies within? And lets say some sort of monster was inside that could eat your soul. What would you say to that?"

He stared at me, seeming to decide whether I was joking or making a true statement. "I'm more powerful than the beasts that are bred in Makai. I can kill them easily."

I smiled at his confidence in himself. "You say you are more powerful than any demon in Makai?"

He flinched for some reason. "No. There's a possibility that there is a stronger demon than me, but I believe I can leave a mortal wound on them that'll later kill them."

I nodded, continuing to smile at his ignorance. "Truly? I can bet that I can get you in a position where moving an inch can blast your head off." My smile slid to a smirk. "Though it would be such a waste. I'd like to keep your head as a memento…I'm sure many of the Makai people would call me a hero for ridding you."

"I doubt that," he spat at me.

I said nothing and conjured more Reiki bombs. These were a specialty of mine. Only I could see them unless I chose to let them be seen. If my prey chose to use their Reiki as a shield, it would set the bombs off. It was a beautiful display of blood and fleshy pieces being separated from the psychical body. Anyone could kill someone, but to prolong it was a skill. I possessed this skill. "If that's true, then try to avoid the traps I've set around you."

He looked around, seeing nothing.

"What's the matter? Can you not see?" I taunted him. He avoided my gaze. "No?" I continued, "Then allow me to show you." The bombs darkened to a green tint. Now the fear in Kurama was evident. How charming. "Now, I have a proposal. I have itchy palms, so to speak. Stealing things and selling them on the Black Market for double the price is something I do for fun, yet the thieves I've used have skills that are…less extensive than yours. Work for me." I didn't ask him to work for me. I demanded it.

"I work only for my own purposes."

"That's precisely my point. Work for me or I'll kill you. Your life is your purpose, is it not?" He fell silent. I drank up the hate that ignited his eyes. "You'll live in luxury. Anything you want, you can have. Feel free to kill over achieving your desires. But, there is a catch—"

"What is it…?" he asked wearily.

"I understand your need to fulfill your desires with a female. Any female you wish to bring to my place will be disposed of later on, no matter who she is. If, though I doubt it, you find a female that I find to my likings, you will allow me to have her. I have my own sadistic desires to fulfill. Hiei and I'm sure you won't scream in pain. Females will. Understand that?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Hiei?"

"He's another thief that was forced to work under me. Now do we have an agreement?" Just incase, I set a bomb off that nicked his arm.

"Yes. Now since you know so much, what's in this chest?"

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**Sorry for the cliffhanger! Tell me if you want this to be continued or taken down! I need a better idea for this title. If you have suggestions, please let me know!**


	2. KURAMA: Matchmaker Jewel & Hiei

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me right this useless drivel.

**Note:** Throughout this, you'll probably start to wonder whether Karasu likes Kurama more than natural for two guys. Just to let you know ahead of time, Karasu only does this to annoy Kurama. He's a sadist freak and he knows Kurama is somewhat the same way. It's fun for him to see know that Youko Kurama sees that he, Karasu, has more power over the fox demon.

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=====**Kurama**=====

At this moment, I wanted nothing more than to grind Karasu's face into a mass of broken glass and sharp rocks. No matter what I said, he turned it around on me in a frustrating way. Why the hell did I even _agree_ to something so stupid? Living in luxury seemed to be promising, and tossing away females after I was done with them was nothing I was new to. Even so, how would I be able to even stand living with this maniac? His sadistic tendencies made my worst killings seem like a human child accidentally stepping on an insect.

Well, he _was_ going to kill me if I refused, wasn't he? I still have a living to uphold. Besides, there's no way I'm going to have a fool like him have the honor of killing me.

"Now since you know so much, what's in this chest?" I asked, directing his attention to the chest I was attempting to pry open before he slammed me into the ground.

"Nothing you'd find important," he said in a cool tone. See?! It's amazing that I was able to restrain myself from beating his pallid face in. The one thing that made it worse was that he _knew_ I hated him more with each second. It was making him happy to know that.

"I'll open it myself if you don't do it," I spat at him.

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "My my, hasty are we? Cool down your pretty head and I'll open it for you."

Ice ran down my spine. The way he kept referring to me was chilling. Things like… 'your pretty head' or 'keep these things away and there will be no reason for your face to be marred.' I was beginning to wonder about his true reasons for wanting me to work for him.

I pushed away these thoughts and watched as he stood with almost feminine grace and moved to open the chest. I was prepared to jeer at his inability to open it, but to my surprise, it opened easily. I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.

"How are you able to open it so easily?" I demanded.

His violet eyes settled on me. I was sure a smile lay behind the mask he wore to cover his nose and mouth. "It was a trap. Do you think that my finding you here was a coincident? I set this up just so I could catch you. When I want something, I go to no end to get it. Aren't you the same way?"

His eyes seemed to bore into me. For the first time in my life, I was unable to look someone in the eyes. I looked away. I didn't like the way he looked it me. It was as if he could see something hidden within my soul… I shuddered.

"Do I disgust you?" he asked in awe. He took a step closer to me and stared intently at me.

I felt myself cringe instinctively as his hand neared my head. I conjured one of my plants to swat his hands away from coming near my body. I looked up at him. I expected some sort of punishment for this. Something that would cause pain. I gritted my teeth. So be it. If I died trying to protect myself against this freak, it would be all the better.

Instead of harming me, he laughed. "Yes, I _do_ disgust you. How amusing. You wanted to see what was in the chest, correct?" He held out his hand. A necklace dangled on his long fingers. "Here. Feel free to look at it. It's of no use to either of us."

I studied it. A small charm dangled off of the delicate silver chain. I looked closer. It was in the shape of a flower…a peony to be precise. The center of the peony was a black color. "What's this in the center? Byzantium?"

He shrugged. "That's what the appraiser said when I showed it."

"And why is it of no use to us? Byzantium is very expensive."

"Yes, but as most Makai artifacts, this thing can be used. As males, we have no use for it."

"Then can females use it?"

"Yes. Byzantium or not, this necklace is only trash. If a female uses this, the center feeds off of their emotions. If they desire a mate, this jewel emits a strange aura that seduces a chosen mate. If they desired protection against an attacker, the attacker wouldn't be able to lay a hand on the female without feeling as if their flesh is burning off." The corners of his eyes crinkled in another smile. "As I've said, it's trash. If one of the women who live in my house wears these, there's no way they can run from me. I have a high tolerance level for pain."

"Why would someone make something like this?! It's a trivial reason to create a jewel."

"I know, but I believe the makers did this for human women. Most of them are willing to spend a fortune on trivial artifacts. Especially if it promises luck to attract men." He shook his bangs out of his eyes. "If they truly want something, they should take it by force." He looked down at me. "Do you wish to keep it? Give it to some female you find attractive and have fun trying to retrieve it. It's helps raise your stamina for pain. Of course…if you want a higher pain tolerance, I can help."

"No thank you."

"What's this? A jewel you say?"

I raised my eyes to see who had spoken. This person didn't have the lazy, silky drawl Karasu had. It sounded high-pitched and highly annoying. Just _hearing_ the voice made me want to kill the thing. A three-eyed raven hovered above us.

"A jewel! A jewel! Give it to me! You said so yourselves, it's no use to you. Give it to me."

"And why would we give this to you?" Karasu asked calmly.

"I'll kill you!"

I watched him raise a hand. His slender fingers flexed and the raven exploded into a bloody mist. "Disgusting creatures…what would a bird do with something only a female could use?" He turned to me. "I bet you're dying to see what your new home looks like."

"Not exactly." I blinked suddenly. I heard a distant sound…it sounded like rain…or something similar… It was the flapping of hundreds of birds. Mixed in with the flapping was a droning sound. Demon ravens made such a sound when searching out jewels. "I hear more of those birds coming closer."

"Let them come. If I can't kill them all in one blast, give them the jewel."

I watched with boredom as Karasu created a barrage of Reiki bombs as the demon ravens came. Only one survived the attack.

"Oops. It seemed one survived," he said cheerfully. I think he did this on purpose…though I couldn't imagine why. He moved towards me and took the jewel away from me. He threw it at the raven. "Here. Put it to some use. I'd like to find the person who ends up with it just so I can toy with them. Run along before I decide you should have your limbs blasted off as well."

The bird flew off with a terrified squeal.

* * *

"Here is your room," Karasu said.

I looked into the room. It was large. In the middle, there was a group of assorted silk pillows.

"I know that you're an animal. You sleep on the ground so I felt that pillows would be at least a step above being on the filthy ground. And there are enough pillows to have your females sleep on too." He thrust a hand into my hair. "Can you imagine it? Beautiful females of your choice to stroke your hair…to fulfill your carnal pleasures…?" His fingers moved through my hair as if testing it.

I grimaced and pushed his hand away. "What I do will be no concern of yours," I snapped.

"If I make it my concern, you have no say in what I do. If I want to hurt you, I will." He made a tiny blast go off on my arm. Immediately I began to bleed. "If I want to stroke your hair, I will." He did so. "If there's anything I wish to do to you, you have no choice but to go along with what I wish or your pretty little head will only be a display on my wall. Understand?"

I growled at him. He made another blast of energy explode on my already bleeding arm. I clutched the wound. "Yes, I understand! Let me be!"

He smiled. "You'll learn, fox demon. You'll learn…" He left.

I scowled at him. I went to the washroom to wipe the access blood off of my arm. "Dammit," I growled to myself. "How am I supposed to tie this up if he gets my dominant arm?"

I heard a faint shuffling behind me so I turned. A demon a foot shorter than me stood in the doorway. He wore a black cloak with a white scarf. A matching white headband was tied around his forehead beneath his raven hair. Most of his hair was the raven black of Karasu's hair, but a burst of white accompanied his bangs. His eyes were a striking ruby red.

The ruby eyes narrowed. "Haven't you seen a demon before?" he snarled viciously. I wasn't aware that I had been staring at him because of his eyes.

"Yes, but your eyes are a remarkable ruby color."

"Hn. It's nothing important. Do you need help with your wound? He purposely attacks your dominant arm. I've learned to do things with both arms."

"I can do it myself." I was touched that this stranger who I had never seen wanted to aid me rather than kill me. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're the infamous Youko Kurama. Who _doesn't_ know who you are?" he replied in almost a monotone.

"Then…why do you wish to help me? Do you not want to kill me?"

"Why would I want to kill you? What did you ever do to me?"

"But…but many of the Makai demons wish to kill me only because of my reputation."

"They don't have an honor code. Look, we're both suffering under a sadistic imbecile now. There's nothing worse than being 'owned' by him. We'll need to stick together to survive."

"Alright. What's your name, then."

"Hiei. You might hear Karasu refer me to 'the Forbidden Child' or something similar."

"Hiei? _You're_ Hiei? He mentioned you…"

His eyes widened. "Really? That's surprising. Are you going to bleed all over the floor or will you let me help you?"

"I said I could do this alone." I summoned my Death Plant. Some of them took hold of the bandage and held it in place as I tied it up. I studied it. It would be good enough for the moment being. I met his gaze. "So…how did you get into this place?"

"Long story," he answered with a smirk.

* * *

**This chapter was probably boring and stupid, wasn't it? I just had to explain what was in the chest and introduce Hiei. I can't really write a fun and exciting chapter about that, can I? Well, like I said, if you want this taken down, let me know, and I'll take it down.**

**Yami-AJ Yu-Yu-InuCardcaptor:** You are the very first person to review my story! You love it already you say? That's so nice of you to say that! ::blush:: Thanks for your review!

**Spoonerfic:** You died and came back alive? ZOMBIE! J/k. I'm glad you're enjoying so far, but I can't be your literary goddess. My fics aren't nearly as good as JDfeilding or Volpone. Thanx just the same!

**DarkShadowWriter:** I'm a big Karasu fan too! That's ok if you don't have ideas for the title. I'll fix it when I get an idea. Right now I think "Guilty by Association' fits too.

**KuramaandHiei4ever:** Yes, it's a cliffhanger. Sorry! Don't kill me! ::covers head::

**Miyako14:** No prob. If I was creative, I would have a special fancy title, but I'm uncreative too. I've switched the title already! ::grins:: I'm glad you think it's good so far! Thankee!

**Kitty:** Oopsie. Youko _can_ see Karasu's bombs? I didn't know that! Oh well…I already wrote it so I guess to make it more evil I'll keep Youko Kurama from being able to see. Thanks!

**Sherkoni:** I hope you like it more soon. I can't make the first couple of chapters super exciting, but I'll try!

**Aurora-cool:** I agree! Karasu is scary, but I like him. He's the only guy so far who can freak Kurama out! He's _got_ to be respected you know! Thanks for saying this is a cool fic! I appreciate it!

**Nienna Whitethorn:** ::screams:: OH MY GOD! WHITETHORN'S BACK! J/k! It's nice to see reviewers of my other YxB fic reading this. I hope you enjoy this one too! Sure, whenever you get your Youko fic up, I'll be sure to read it! Better let me know when it's up, k?

**lala:** Yes, evil cliffhanger! But, it was necessary! Thanks for your review!

**Thanks for reviewing! If you want your name up next chapter, please feel free to review this chapter!**


	3. BOTAN: Good luck charm

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me right this useless drivel.

=====**Botan**=====

**(several weeks later)**

I sighed. The Valentine's Day dance was coming in a week and I still didn't have a date. I had a lot of chess club geeks ask me to go with them, but what fun would that be? I want to dance and they would be too nervous to dance with me.

"Botan, this is the first human dance we've been to," my friend Lena said. "Just pick a guy and go with him."

"Easy for you to say," I said in a grumpy voice. "You're pretty and of course the hot guys are going to ask you to go with them. Look at me." I stared at myself into the mirror where Lena held a dress up to herself. "I'm boring looking."

"Don't be so down on yourself. You aren't boring looking." She frowned at the sage green dress in her hand and threw it onto the growing pile. She held up a baby blue one. "You'll get a cute guy. If you want, I can find a hot guy that's going to kick it sometime after the dance that'll go with you."

Lena was a fellow grim reaper. I was the one who took people's souls across the Sanzu River. Lena liked to find random hotties and tell them when they were going to die.

I frowned at what she said. "No thanks. I guess I just won't go to the dance."

"You're too picky, that's all it is. But, if that's your decision, that's fine with me." Lena complained. She waved the blue dress at me. "What do you think of this one? I think it makes my eyes look a little green…"

"It'll look fine on you."

She made an irritated sound and threw the blue one on the pile. "You're just saying that!" She held up a lovely rose pink dress. "This makes my cheeks look pinker," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should get this one…"

"Can I try that one on?" I asked sheepishly.

She smiled and handed me the dress. "It'll bring the color of your eyes out." She gave me a funny look. "Why do you want to try it on? Didn't you say you weren't going to go to the dance?"

I felt myself blush as I touched the silky material. "Yes, but maybe I'll go alone."

Lena sat down beside me. "No. You'll look silly without a date. What about the boy that moved here a month ago?"

"I think he's going with someone." I patted her hand. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

She gave me a sympathetic look. "I know what will cheer you up. More shopping! There's a shrine not too far from here that sells charms. There are good luck charms for tests, some for love, money…and all kinds of things. If they work for humans, maybe they can work for you!"

We paid for our dresses and walked to the shrine.

==

A man wearing a filthy cloak sat on a blanket a few yards away from the shrine.

"That's kind of weird," Lena said. "Normally these guys stay inside the temple…over there." She pointed to a building that looked like a shack. "That's where they usually sell these."

"Maybe he's trying to enjoy the fresh air," I suggested.

"Yeah. Maybe." She pulled me to the man on the blanket.

"You're a pretty pair. What brings you to such a humble shrine?" the man rasped. He sounded like he as just getting over a cold.

"Do…do you sell good luck charms?" Lena asked nervously.

"Yes, indeed we do. I should've known. That's the only thing that pretty young ones such as yourselves would come here for, no?" He laughed. "I'm guessing that you came here looking for love charms."

"Yes! That's exactly what we came here for!" Lena was instantly smiling. "See, my friend here can't find the perfect guy to go to the school dance with."

I saw the man peer at me from beneath the hood. "Truly? I would think that a girl with your looks would find someone suiting."

"That's what I told her!" Lena beamed at him.

"I'm sure we can fix that." The man took a small box out from under his cloak.

I wasn't sure if it was safe to be touched. I looked at Lena to see her reaction. Her reaction was nothing put positive. "Open it, you chicken!" she said.

I took the cover off and looked to see what was inside. It was a delicate looking necklace. A charm hung on the silver chain. I lifted it and held it to the light to see what it was. It was a peony. The center of it was black while the petals were a rose pink. The center glinted in the light and seemed to turn a medium blue color.

"Well?" Lena demanded. "Let me look!" She leaned over my shoulder to look at it. "Oh! It's a peony! That's perfect for you…it's your favorite flower, right?"

I nodded, but I couldn't help but think about how ironic this seemed. I wanted to find a good date for the dance, Lena takes me to this shrine and somehow I find a charm for love that was in the shape of a peony. It was almost frightening to know. Somehow, someone out there must have known about my predicament…but that was silly! It had to be a coincident, right?

"Does it really work?" I asked slowly. I knew I was quiet for a long time. I had to say something!

The man nodded. "Yes. It seems to be made exactly for you, doesn't it?"

I shivered. He had voiced exactly what I was thinking. He was making me very nervous. I looked away from him and focused on the necklace. As I stared at it, I felt as if I needed it. It would go nicely with the dress I got and if the charm _did_ work, it would be a dream come true. "How much is it?" I asked. It looked expensive.

"No charge. The two of you seem to be made for each other. How can I argue with destiny?"

I gaped at him. "Oh…no, I couldn't just take it…"

He held a hand up. "No charge," he said firmly. "Now run along and enjoy the wonders of the matchmaker jewel."

"The matchmaker jewel?" I asked Lena in a whisper as we left. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"I don't know…maybe Lord Koenma said something about it a while back." She shrugged. "Who cares. Put it on! Lets see if the thing really works."

I took the necklace out of the box and put it on. I looked down at it. "What now?" I asked in a small voice.

"Well you can't just stand here and expect some hotties to run up and ask for your phone number, do you?"

"I guess not. I really don't expect anything," I admitted.

"Well we can get some ramen and chat."

* * *

I waved a hand over the ramen bowl to help it cool down. I stared in disbelief as Lena sipped some of the soup without blowing over it to cool it. "Isn't it hot?"

"Yeah, but it's better than waiting until the noodles get too soggy."

I shrugged nibbled on the hot noodles.

"So what kind of guy are you looking for? What's your dream guy?" She smiled at me. "I won't laugh. Promise."

"Okay, but you promised." I blushed, remembering the recent dreams I've had. They were strange and they always left me confused, but they were wonderful all the same. "I've had these dreams…and it's really confusing but I want a guy that looks like him. He seems really nice and he's cute too."

"Spill it!"

"In my dream, I was in a dark place. I couldn't see anything and it was so dark and cold…I called for help and no one came. The next thing I know, I see a glow. It was a silver color. It shapes into this guy with silver hair and white clothes."

"Oh…what did _he_ look like."

"He wasn't human, which was really strange. He had these fox ears and the furry tail. They were silver too."

She gave me a strange look. "You've been drinking haven't you?"

"No! Why do you say that!"

"Because, obviously the guy in your dream is some kind of demon. You know that it goes against the codes of Reikai to be with demons. The birthing process isn't safe."

I blushed. "I never said that I'd actually find a guy like this…I just said he was cute and it'd be nice to show him off…" I began to sip the ramen soup. "I'd settle with a nice black-haired guy," I said to change to subject.

"Oh! What about him! He's cute. He's coming towards you too!"

"Hey Botan, you busy?"

I looked up and met the chocolate brown eyes that I knew too well. "Yusuke?!" I stared at Lena. "You think _he's _cute?"

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "I know I'm not the next Orlando Bloom or anything, but that's no way to speak about me. I've got my own charms you know."

"He's Koenma's Spirit Detective!" I giggled. Lena was so clueless sometimes.

Lena wrinkled her nose. "You could've fooled me. You don't look like you've got a brain under that helmet. Aren't Spirit Detectives supposed to be smart?"

"Helmet?!" He touched his heavily gelled hair. "This is my hair. Geez, you give blondes a bad name!" He ignored her remark about his brains.

"Calm down, Yusuke." I patted his arm. "You can't talk that way to her or you'll just get an earlier death sentence."

"You better be glad you're a girl!" He waved a fist at her. He grinned at me. "You're looking good today, Botan. Anyway, we've got a little problem with pacifier breath. He says that a lot of our Makai lookouts have been missing for a long time. You have to go back and help get some info on these people."

"But I just ordered this stuff!" I moaned.

"I'll help!" Yusuke downed the entire bowl in about 3 mouthfuls. He ran a sleeve across his mouth and grinned. "Problem solved."

I frowned at him. "That's not what I meant…"

"Yeah yeah, blame it on me. Get your ass moving, Botan. Diaper brain says this is important."

I followed him. I knew that if I didn't, he'd sit there whining and complaining until I screamed out of frustration. It was a few minutes until I realized that I've been given a lot of strange looks. Many of the human males stared at me like I was sprouting extra arms. I glanced at my sides just to make sure I wasn't.

Yusuke seemed to notice the same thing. "Since when were you so popular with the pretty boys?"

"I-I'm not sure…" It was a wonderful thing to know that guys knew I was alive, but at the same time it was scary. I didn't want to be watch _every_ second! What did I get myself into!

* * *

**Like I said, if you want this taken down, I'll take it down! here's the reviewers:**

**DarkShadowWriter:** First reviewer! Yes, Karasu is cool. You gotta love his sadistic tendencies! Thanks for the review!

**Sasami Minammo:** That's so nice of you to say that! You should read some of Volpone's works. They're so much better than mine. I'll try to read your fic when I get a chance, k? I've had so little time to get on the internet. I barely have time to update!

**KuramaandHiei4ever**: I agree. Linkin Park is the best! All of their songs are great! You watched HP3? You suck! I shall kill you now! Nah, not really.

**Volpone:** Karasu rape Kurama just to watch him suffer, eh? Interesting suggestion…::evil laugh:: Yeah, anyone could guess that Botan winds up with the necklace. It says so in the summary (sorta) and it was in the shape of a peony. Behold the wonderful foreshadowing! I'm an idiot, sorry!

**Bishonen Zoo Keeper:** Would you really sic my flamers? Erm…ok. I'll hold you to that! But I encourage flames, none the less. Thanks for your review!

**Ame no kodomo:** Karasu freaks me out too, but you can't help but love him!

**Aurora-cool:** Karasu is gorgeous in his own sadistic light…I guess. He seems gay in a way, doesn't he? But I'd like to think of him as being sadistic rather than gay. He's not gay. Just weird.

**cHiCkx0fxdArKnEsS**: OOC? I guess…but I don't want him to be too evil. I want him to look helpless.


	4. Karasu's suggestion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me right this useless drivel. Flames are encouraged. If you choose to flame, please give me a reason for the flame.

=== **Normal POV **===

Youko's Death Plant ripped off a nearby demon's head. He kicked the torso aside into the pile of bodies. He crossed his arms across his chest with the vines writhing around him, eager for more blood shed. He focused his curious golden gaze upon his fellow demon. "Enjoying yourself?" he called sarcastically.

Hiei blinked, his concentration broken. His hand still gripped at the weaker demon's neck as he looked up at Youko. "What?" he demanded angrily. "I'm busy."

The fox demon smiled broadly. "I asked if you were enjoying yourself. You seem less distracted here than at home."

He looked away and broke his victim's neck before tossing it against a boulder. "Hn. If you could call that a home…"

"As long as it keeps the weather out, I consider it a home." Youko walked towards him. "I know that Karasu is…" he fished for a decent word. "_eccentric…_ but he hasn't broken his vow. He _has_ allowed us whatever we desired as long as we worked for his and our own causes." He stared thoughtfully at the demon Hiei had expertly carved into. "And…I must admit, it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I suspected that he would torment me as he did on my first day."

"Hn."

The spirit fox raised an eyebrow. He had learned that the fire demon's "hn" could be defined as anything. But, he had stayed with him for nearly a year. He could usually tell what he meant if he paid enough attention. "I beg your pardon?"

"When I was recruited many years ago, he wasn't as calm as he is now. He was experimental in the way he commanded his presence," Hiei began thoughtfully. "At first I didn't have a problem. As long as I listened to him, I didn't have to look at him. He would find random demons and humans when possible. He would torture them for no reason and of course he grew bored. They could only take so much before breaking down or dying so he turned to me. I was his 'fun'. He'd torture me whenever he was bored."

He touched the countless healed-over nicks on his arms unconsciously. "But he seems to like you. He _favors_ you," he said bitterly. His ruby eyes narrowed.

"Favors me? What have I done for him to favor me?" he asked in surprise.

"Your reputation. You're the 'Great Youko Kurama.'" He stood up and faced the demon. "It's the way you were made…the way you were born. There aren't many kitsune demons out there anymore. They've been sold as pets."

"Pets?" Youko repeated blankly. "How can we be sold as pets…we've been in mostly human form as I am now for several centuries."

"I know. They sell the ones like you just like that. They're exotic creatures…the females are perfect in every aspect: curvaceous, gorgeous…and the males are powerful, handsome and well built. The bastards that run the black market find the kitsune population and stunt their powers when young. They make good pets, I suppose."

Youko felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Are you insinuating that I make a good _pet_ for Karasu?" he demanded. The Death Plant's many heads lowered to meet Hiei's shorter stature and snapped at his face.

Hiei slapped the plant away with the flat side of his katana. "Yes. For the moment, you _are_ his 'pet' whether you like it or not. And I'm his slave," he realized angrily. His ruby eyes flashed, matching his anger. "Just wait until you piss him off. Just wait…"

The kitsune personally didn't care. The only question that bothered him was the fact that Hiei didn't go ahead and kill Karasu since he was so angry with him. Youko was satisfied with his life and Karasu didn't bother him. He only killed when there was a reason to…or if he was bored. Karasu neither gave him a reason to nor bored him.

He shrugged and urged his Death Plant to dig into the pocket of the demon Hiei had destroyed. It picked up a gold trinket and dropped it into its master's hand. Youko studied it. "It looks cheap…as if a human forged this." He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the corpse. "Why can't they tell the difference between what's worth something and what isn't?"

"They aren't that bright." Hiei used his katana to lift the cloth around the corpse's chest and picked up a small bag. Opening it, he found countless silver coins mixed in with a few copper colored ones. He smirked. "Here. Look at this." He tossed it at Youko who caught it.

He wiped the blood away from a coin and looked at it. "This is human money." He stared in disbelief at the countless demons they had decimated. "We had to kill them over these worthless things?"

Hiei shrugged and brushed the dust off of his robe. "They died for nothing I suppose."

"As long as they retreat we wouldn't have to kill them," Youko reminded. "They chose to fight back thereby accepting their deaths."

* * *

"Excellent. You retrieved the useless objects," Karasu congratulated.

Youko looked at him in bewilderment. "Useless? You knew these were mere trinkets?"

The taller man glanced at the crimson stains that had blossomed on the white robes of the fox demon. "Yes. And I see that you've gotten dirty from retrieving them." He took a handful of the robes and ran his finger across one of the stains. He sighed as if he were frustrated with him. "My dear Youko, you're a demon of class. You should learn to kill without dirtying yourself."

A smile crinkled the corner of his violet eyes. "But I daresay you enjoyed yourself?"

Youko frowned. "Why would you ask that? I always enjoy a good kill."

"Yes, yes, I realize that. But your face doesn't come back as flushed as it is now." He ran the tips of his long fingers down the milky cheeks. He tilted his head to search for the reason in the golden eyes he had come to admire. "Has the thought of returning to your quarters caused the heat to come to your cheeks?"

Hiei raised his eyes to Youko, attempting to decipher the emotions behind the passive façade. He could only read the disgust that Youko obviously felt at being touched by the taller demon.

"I'm not flushed," Youko snapped stubbornly. He pulled away from the unwanted contact.

Karasu laughed. "Be that way, but I own you. Don't forget that."

"Nobody owns me."

The raven-haired demon shrugged his slender shoulders. "Believe that if you want." He lowered his violet gaze to Hiei and gave him a roguish wink. "I'd hate to take away your beliefs. Don't you agree, my forbidden child?"

Hiei had a strong urge to shudder, but he managed to control it. "I'll be in my room," he announced, ignoring Karasu's remarks. He glanced down at his bloodstained cloak with a grimace before leaving for his room.

* * *

Youko entered his room and heaved a sigh. He would have enjoyed his life recently as long as he didn't have any run-ins with Karasu. He hated the man, but at the same time, he couldn't help but admire him. Only Karasu had the gall to stroke his face without his permission. Only Karasu could touch him and leave him feeling helplessly weak. He rubbed the back of his hand across his cheeks to massage away Karasu's touch. He didn't enjoy a male's touch...it wasn't something he enjoyed...

"Oh…Kurama," a female crooned. "You've been on another mission haven't you?" She went towards the fox demon and shook her auburn hair seductively away from her eyes to peer at his robes. She made 'tsk-tsk' sounds as she walked in a full circle around him, surveying the damage. She sighed. "You got dirty again. Oh well, we'll get that fixed."

Youko gave the gorgeous demon a smile. "Do that, will you, Ame? I'm tired."

Ame raised her bright green eyes to her friends. "Sakura, Himawari, help me with him." Two girls hurried to the fox demon and began to remove his robe. They did this at an annoyingly slow pace, first untying his sash and carefully folding it to removing the robe itself. All these females enjoyed teasing him, removing his clothes slowly so they could feast their eyes on a little of his body at a time.

Instead of smiling and going along with this game, Youko frowned. "Ladies, forgive me, but I am in no mood to play this evening." He shrugged the robes off of his body into a heap at his feet. He went to the washroom.

"Let me help with your hair!" Sakura begged. She was a fox demon too. She was one of the 'purchased pets' Hiei had been talking about. She had been Karasu's 'toy' for a while, but he grew bored with her. He gave her to Youko to have his way with her and the rest of the demon females. The girls all remained loyal for the spirit fox. For two reasons. They were afraid that any wrong doing would be reported to the crow demon. And, finally, how could anyone resist Youko? He was almost painfully adorable…

"I can do this myself," Youko said dismissively.

Sakura and the rest of the females gazed at him in smitten adoration. He was so handsome…so distractingly sexy and daring yet he didn't flaunt around acting as if he knew he possessed these traits. He didn't force them to do every little task for him as well as using them for what they were bred for. In fact he seemed slightly shy at the fact that his whole chamber was filled with at least one female of every demon species.

"No…you said you were tired," Sakura argued with the angelic demon. "You just relax and don't lift a finger. The girls and I will help you."

"But…" The fox demon trailed off, knowing that he couldn't argue with the twenty or so demon girls that surrounded him. If he wanted to, he could easily kill them off, but they were females. As a male from an honorable specie, killing females when they didn't threaten your life was a deed punishable by death.

It wasn't long until the many demons had scrubbed the blood from his skin and soaped the stench of death away from his silky hair.

"We're going to help you relax," Himawari cooed, her elf ears twitching as she took his arm and pushed him down on the pile of pillows.

Youko settled onto the pillows. A fresh robe hung on his shoulders. He had barely managed to pull the robe on. The many females crooned over certain aspects of him. Sakura scratched behind his ears, knowing that it was a ticklish spot. They giggled as Youko purred.

"Aw…he's so adorable…I'm glad we get to stay with him…"

Karasu opened the door. He chortled as he saw his favored pet surrounded by the females he had purchased long ago. "Excuse me," he said as he strolled leisurely into the room. He shooed Himawari away and sat on her pillow. His violet eyes flashed knowingly as all the females inched away from him and moved closer to Youko.

Youko glanced at them and at Karasu. "Do we need to be alone?" he asked slowly.

"No. Not unless you _want_ to be alone with me."

The girls looked hopefully at their master who shook his head. "They'll stay with me."

Karasu nodded. "Naturally…" He laced his long fingers together. "Have you ever fought a spirit detective?" he asked.

"No…why?"

"I've managed to lure one here. I've arranged a few killings and the match between you and Reikai's favored detective for the day after tomorrow."

"What brought you to do this?"

"I've heard stories of their Angel of Death. She takes the spirits of the dead across the Sanzu River to be judged. Then they get condemned to either hell or heaven."

Youko stared at him. "What about her? Why do you want to lure her here?"

"It isn't just her, you see. We can sell a Spirit Detective to owners of the black market. They wouldn't mind having the young man brainwashed to serve them. As for the ferry girl, I'm sure some demon such as yourself would pay millions to _use_ her." He smiled at Youko. "Are you up to the challenge of subduing a spirit detective? A share of all earnings goes to you." He nodded at the girls. "Buy some more things…such as the ferry girl, perhaps?"

"I've got enough girls as it is," Youko retorted. "Why would I want some human girl that's been turned to work for Reikai?"

The girls around him nodded enthusiastically. "That's right!" Sakura insisted. "He has us and he doesn't need anybody else!"

Karasu smirked behind his mask. It was amazing that Youko could own all these women. And with his looks, it was equally amazing how none of them seemed to fight jealously for his attention. "I agree with you all beautiful ladies, but Youko…a grim reaper would be and interesting addition to your collection you have here."

"I'll see. All this attention gets a little tiresome at times. No offense, ladies, but there are times when I'd like to have room to breathe."

"Sorry…" Himawari said in a small voice "But we can't help it."

"You're just so cute…how _can_ we help it?" another girl asked.

"So you're up to the challenge?"

"Yes, for the spirit detective."

* * *

**Ok, I want your opinions, people. Would you like me to continue doing everyone's POV or would you like me to stick to 3rd person POV? The 1st person's POV is pretty limited to what everyone else can be thinking but 3rd person POV can show what everyone is thinking at the same time. It's up to you. If you want me to continue in random 1st POV I will or if you want 3rd person POV I can do that to. It's up to you reviewers!**

**Ame no kodomo:** That's so nice of you to say! You're also the first reviewer! Congrats! I hope you liked this chapter too!

**Miyako14:**Really? You think it's interesting? Thanks! I thought it was boring, but thanks for telling me otherwise!

**Spoonerific:** Yes, I agree, Karasu rocks. Even though he's dead on the anime, he did put so much damage on Kurama. He should be honored for that! O.o but that's why some people hates Karasu! He almost killed our little fox demon! Ah well.

**Natsumi-chan:** Aw, you don't like Karasu? Even though he may be a sadistic s.o.b. I like him. He's just so calm when he hurts people. It's so creepy that it's funny somehow. That's ok. Maybe he'll get his come-uppance.

**Volpone:** You're psychic?! Really? Then if you _are_ psychic, who's my fav actor? You can't look at my Bio! That's cheating! Well, there might not be much Y/B or K/B but there's even less HieixBotan. That's why I'm attempting to write one. Notice the word ATTEMPT. I saw your new fic up! I'm sure it'll be as good as all your other fics. I'll read it when I get a chance.

**Pyromaniac bunny:** That's….an interesting suggestion, but I don't know how that'll all fit into this fic… I'll think of something, I'm sure I will.

**Pretty nutter:** I'm not sure about the ID number for foxgloves. You can look under my fav author's list and find Volpone's name and the fic Foxgloves will be under her account. Enjoy!

**Thanks for the reviews!**


	5. More Catches

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me right this useless drivel. Flames are encouraged. If you choose to flame, please give me a reason for the flame.

* * *

Yusuke threw himself down on his couch. He raised his large brown eyes to Botan. "So when's Diaper Brain's going to tell us what our mission is? He usually gives us a vague idea of what's to be expected, right?"

Botan narrowed her lavender orbs at him. "Don't disrespect Lord Koenma. How many times must I remind you, Yusuke?"

"Probably a million more times." He winked and rapped lightly on his skull with his knuckles. "Hear that? The echoing sound? That means there's nothing inside this head of mine. I'm not the brightest light, remember?"

The deity stifled a giggle. "Yes, I remember. How could I forget?" She sat beside Yusuke, watching with a grimace as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He took one out and began to smoke it. She wrinkled her nose and inched away. "Can't you do that at another time?"

"Nope." He crossed his arms behind his head and began to smoke it slowly and deliberately blowing the exhaled smoke in Botan's direction.

Botan rose, about to make a comment about it. Her communicator began to beep. She flipped it open. "Yes Koenma?"

The toddler prince clutched a pile of papers and shook them at her via the communicator. "There seems to be a little catch with the mission." He chewed nervously on the pacifier. "I don't know exactly what I can do… Bring Yusuke over and we'll discuss this." The screen to the compact communicator went black.

Botan closed it. "Come on, Yusuke. We have to go talk to Lord Koenma in private."

* * *

"So there's a catch, huh? What is it?" Yusuke asked, sitting down in one of the chairs before Koenma's desks. He narrowed his eyes. "If this is one of your stupid tricks to get me motivated or scared, I'm not buying it."

Botan rolled her eyes in frustration at the teen. "Yusuke! Shut up and let him talk!"

Koenma shuffled through a stack of papers and yanked a sheet out that looked like it had been trampled in the dirt and chewed on a few times. "This is a report we found on one of our Reikai spies."

"Found?" Yusuke asked.

"Found…as in we were identifying dead bodies. Inside one of the pockets, we found this. We're guessing this person managed to get into the thieves' inner circle before getting found out." He sighed heavily. "This is really hard to read. It took us about a weak to decipher the smeared writing."

"Great. So what does it say?"

"It talks about a man named Karasu. He's the leader of an operation to find priceless artifacts and sell them to the black market. The black market then puts it into the human market for twice the price. The problem is that these priceless artifacts were made by demons…some of which are _extremely_ dangerous when used by a naïve human."

"Artifacts like….what, a necklace?"

Koenma nodded. "Yes. It can be a simple necklace but the necklace may do something as simple as…say…attracting a mate to the most extreme…to maybe destroying the world."

"So you're saying both are bad?"

"Yes, but the latter is worse. The first messes with the mind too much. I've had past reports of people committing suicide because they weren't chosen to be the wearer's mate. Suicide is a messy business. We have to study each case to see if the suicide was for a noble cause, allowing them to enter heaven or if they go to hell for it. The latter is much worse. Destroying the world leaves a void," Koenma explained.

He hopped up and clapped his hands. Immediately two ogres came in dragging a chalkboard into the room.

Yusuke sighed in boredom and allowed himself to sink into the chair, showing his obvious lethargy for the explanation.

Koenma frowned at him. He grabbed a stress relieving squishy in the shape of a cow off of his desk. He chucked it at Yusuke's head. "Pay attention!"

Yusuke glared at the toddler. "Get on with it then!"

"So like I said. Destroying the world leaves a void." He drew three large circles on the board. He labeled one Ningenkai, another Reikai, and the other one Makai. "See these? There are three worlds as you can tell. You can only destroy one of these at a time. So whichever world that gets destroyed leaves an open hole on the earth….an open portal. Lets say Ningenkai was destroyed."

He scribbled through the circle labeled Ningenkai. "Everyone and possibly everything on the Surface World is dead, right? So a portal is opened." He drew a star a few centimeters away from the scribbled out Ningenkai. "Supposedly this is a portal. The portal is seen in both Makai and Reikai. Creatures from either world can come into this place and claim it as their own." He drew lines from the star to the Makai and Reikai circles. He drew stick figures under the Reikai and Makai circles.

"See these? These are monsters…people, animals—whatever—from each world. They'll come to this destroyed Ningenkai and a war will be made over it. Kamisama, me, Dad, Botan and everyone else that works at Reikai head quarters won't be able to bring the humans back. They need bodies and we only have the souls. That's going to be a big issue."

Yusuke nodded. "You guys must have a lot of time on your hands."

"No. This is what the elders said would happen if the world is destroyed. They can be right. If they aren't, then maybe all three worlds go KABOOM all at once. End of that." He shrugged. "So we need to get this man…" He squinted at the paper. "Karasu. We have to find Karasu and stop all his excavating for magical jewels and other trinkets." He turned to Botan. "Did you get all that Botan?"

Through all this, Botan had zoned out, which meant she had heard absolutely nothing. She was studying her peony shaped necklace, admiring the way the center seemed to fade into no color at all then suddenly darken to a beautiful shade of purple. She smiled to herself, dreaming of what sort of man she would hope to attract. She wanted him to be handsome…so handsome that the preppy girls at her school would be jealous of her. That would show them.

Her mind drifted off to her dreams. If she _did_ meet the fox-like person of her dreams, what kind of person would he be? Would he be the nice angelic man as she had dreamed or would he be as sadistic as the demons they had to hunt down in work? She frowned at herself. Such thoughts like this were bad. It was wrong to love a demon. They were cold-hearted creatures, incapable of loving, right?

But if this was true, then why was it that a demon appeared in her dreams rather than a human?

"Botan….Botan? Contacting Botan! We request that you return to Earth sometime in the next ten seconds….if not, a meteor is going to crash into your spacecraft," Yusuke said. He cupped his hands around his mouth, making it sound like he spoke through a megaphone. He began to count down. "Ten….nine…"

Koenma looked at Yusuke then back at Botan. This was going to be interesting.

"Three…two…one… AHHHHHH! A meteor!" Yusuke smacked Botan lightly on her head. "There. Now wake up!"

Botan was snapped out of her reverie. She glared at him. "What was that for?"

"You were day dreaming. Only I can do that." He quickly repeated what Koenma had to say.

"Karasu? That's it? What's the catch then," Botan asked the toddler prince.

"Supposedly this was all in their plans. They _want_ us to come. They weren't stealing things only for profit." He looked sympathetically at the Spirit Detective and ferry girl. "They _want_ to fight you—and possibly kill you, Yusuke."

"Sounds like fun," Yusuke remarked sarcastically.

"So I don't know what to do," Koenma admitted. "It's not that I favor you, Yusuke," he said quickly, "But retraining another Spirit Detective is going to be a royal pain in the ass."

An ogre rushed in. "Sir! Sir! We got someone calling in!"

"What? From where?" Koenma said. He hopped onto his desk.

"Makai. It's from Karasu….I think."

"Turn it on!"

The ogre pushed a button on the giant t.v. screen. Immediately a picture popped into view.

_A man with blonde hair smiled down at the woman before him. "Look, Chad isn't good enough for you. I am. He won't treat you the way you deserve."_

_The woman looked at him. "Oh…and you can?"_

_"Baby, I'll do anything for you. Anything!"_

_The woman smiled at him. "Good. That's what I wanna hear." She moved towards him, opening her arms, beckoning him into her embrace--_

Koenma jumped up and changed the channel. "Sorry. I was watching something on this channel earlier on," he said with a tell-tale blush rising on his cheeks.

Yusuke smirked and flashed Botan a "Yeah right" look.

Now a man sat lounging on a love seat. His legs were propped up on a coffee table. His ankles were crossed on it. His face was covered by the brim of a hat. On his lap lay an open book.

"Hello?" Koenma asked.

The man uttered a snore.

Everyone in the room fell over anime style.

"Hey, moron! Wake up!" Yusuke snapped.

The man jumped awake. He pushed his hat back and smiled at the screen. "Sorry…I fell asleep waiting for someone to answer." He rubbed at his eyes and shook his raven hair away from his face.

"Are you Karasu?" Koenma asked. He had read in his report that Karasu had the same dark hair.

"Me? Karasu?" The man glanced at either side of him. Bat wings flexed before settling back into position. "Do these look like crow wings? I think not." He crossed his arms across his chest and smiled a charming smile. "No. I'm not Karasu, but I have a message to you from him….if you want to hear it."

"Tell us or I'll wring your neck," Yusuke said.

Botan stared at the man in awe. He was obviously a demon…but he wasn't what the stereotype suggested. He was gorgeous in a teasing way. Raven hair…blue eyes so dark that it looked almost black sometimes or almost a purple. Those bat wings were a little distracting, but

"I'd love to see you try, human." The man pulled a red pendant out and began toying with it. "But I'll tell you anyway." He smiled again. "Karasu has a little suggestion when you, the Spirit Detective, goes to fight against one of our thieves."

"Why can't Karasu tell us in person and who's the thief?" Yusuke asked.

"Karasu doesn't want you to know who he is. Besides, I'm much better looking. He might scare you," he said roguishly. "As for the thief, I don't know who he or she is." He narrowed his cobalt eyes at Yusuke. "Now no more stalling. Karasu asks that you bring along the ferry girl. If our thief wins, both of you belong to us. If you win, we'll turn ourselves in willingly."

Botan started. "Me? Why me?"

The demon shrugged. "There's no telling with Karasu. So are you up to it, Koenma?"

"Of course we're in! But when Yusuke beats you guys, I want each and everyone of you to destroy every artifact you ever sold and _then_ turn yourselves in!" Koenma said.

The demon spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Yes, yes, of course. So we all agree?"

Koenma looked at Yusuke who nodded confidently then to Botan who agreed slowly. "Yes. Agreed."

"See you in a few weeks, then."

"Wait—a few weeks? Why?" Yusuke asked.

"You may want a while to train your Spirit Detective. He isn't strong enough." With that, the handsome demon ended the transmission.

* * *

**According to you reviewers, most of you say that 3rd person POV is better. I'll continue this story on in 3rd person then! Thanks for taking time out to review.**

=== **Here's something you readers can help me with. I want to use a few more names for the 'concubines' as Volpone calls them. But unfortunately, I have no imagination. If any of you have any ideas for a girl that I can use as a 'concubine', please give me details: eyes, hair, specie, and if you want, you can choose who's 'concubine' she will originally belong to. You can have her belong to the demon in the screen, Youko, Karasu, or Botan. Your choice, but I need characters.**

**So who knows who the new demon was? It was a dead give away, people—especially to those of you who watched EVERYTHING that has to do with YYH. That includes movies too, k?**

**Spoonerific:** I'm glad you like the way I like Karasu. I try my best. As I've said before I CANNOT be your literary goddess. I'm not good enough! But thanks all the same.

**DarkShadowWriter:** A bit rushed you say? Could you elaborate so I can see what you mean? Thanks for your review!

**Pretty nutter:** Then 3rd person POV it is! It's easier too. Thanks!

**Volpone:**Color? No. I meant ACTOR, not color. But that's ok. I like blue personally. I'm pretty normal…maybe too normal! Yes, there might be a little KarasuxBotan in it. But if you have anything in particular you want concerning KarasuxBotan, then I'll use it if possible! Now can YOU guess who our new character in this chapter was? Of course you can! But my problem might be keeping him in character since I know very little about him. You know, how he talks, and all that. I hope I don't screw it up!

**Miyako14:** ::blush:: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy. Don't worry. YoukoxBotan-ness will come soon. Just be patient!

**Ame no kodomo:**Whichever POV you say? Third person is easier and it helps portray more people, but I may use 1st person POV sometimes. I enjoyed writing from Karasu's POV. He creeps me out but I love him just the same.

**Conspiring against me:** Thanks! I know either POV may seem good, but 3rd is easier for me. And most people suggested 3rd so there it is! Thanks for your review.

**Keirin-sama:** I updated! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Thanks for the reviews!**


	6. Discussions wKarasu and Kuronue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me write this useless drivel. Flames are encouraged. If you choose to flame, please give me a reason for the flame.

* * *

Karasu strolled through Youko's room, stepping carelessly over the sleeping bodies of the concubines. Once he came to the closed door of the fox demon's bedchamber, he paused. The door was closed…which meant that Youko was obviously doing something important, Karasu mused. He smirked. Of course he doubted that it was truly important. Since there were so many concubines, the 'important' action could only be one thing.

Without bothering to knock, he thrust the door open. The door hit the wall with almost enough force to knock a hole into it. He smiled behind his mask, watching his favored thief jump in surprise.

"What the hell is this all about?" Youko demanded. His bare chest heaved as he breathed heavily. The sudden loud noise had scared him out of his sleep. He took the deep breaths to calm his thudding heart.

Karasu's violet eyes studied Youko's half-naked form. The fox demon noticed this and narrowed his eyes before tugging the sheets over his body. "Are you going to answer me?" he asked.

"Yes. I came to wake you up."

"And why couldn't you have done this in a more civilized manner?"

"It gives me pleasure to frighten you… and I rather enjoy finding you busy with certain…_people_ so to speak." His eyes purposely cut towards the two demon females that lay on either side of the fox demon.

The females blushed and giggled. They gazed at the handsome demon that lay between them.

"And I must say I'm impressed. You keep these girls in check. That'll come in handy when you bring the ferry girl to me."

Youko sat up more fully. "I thought we were only after the spirit detective."

"Yes, but I took a closer look at her when searching over Reikai records. She's a pretty one and she's got a nice body on her. She'll be a challenge to tame. She has a mind of her own… I bet she'll be able to resist your so-called charms."

Youko smirked. "No one can resist me." He tossed back his silver hair and flashed the two females one of his most sexy expressions to prove his point. The girls immediately began to giggle again, gazing at him with adoration.

Karasu closed his eyes, silently laughing at the kitsune's confidence. "We'll see." He lifted his eyes. "I have someone you may want to meet. He was kind enough to arrange everything for you. Get dressed. The stench of those females is giving me a headache." He turned and left abruptly.

"I don't like him," Sakura said in a small voice, clutching Youko. "He scares me." Her kitsune ears lowered against her head—a gesture that proved her fear.

Youko gently patted her head and scratched behind her pointy fox ears. "It's quite all right. You had better listen to him. You wouldn't want to make him angry would you?"

Sakura shook her head in agreement. "No way."

The fox demon watched as she got out of the body. He sighed in boredom. The sight of these female's flesh didn't excite him anymore. True, they did what he wanted, but they were boring him. They went to him willingly. If only he had a challenge… Maybe he'd take up on Karasu's offer and claim the ferry girl as another one of his concubines. But then what? Who would his next victim be? He could just as easily manipulate a male's minds, but he didn't swing that way. Maybe he'd capture a group of demon males and force them to kill each other.

He stretched and got dressed.

* * *

In the kitchens, Youko found Hiei lounging at one of the tables. "Good morning, Hiei," he greeted.

"Hn. What's so good about this particular morning?"

"Nothing I suppose. I would've liked to sleep longer, but Karasu woke me up rather rudely."

Hiei smirked. "Yeah. Same here. The only difference is that my room isn't overrun by worthless females."

He returned the smirk. "Oh…you know, do you?"

"Yes. The girls in my room say things about the concubines in your quarters."

The fox demon laughed. "You have concubines of your own?"

Hiei frowned and crossed his arms. "Hn. Just because I seem antisocial doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a female's company."

"_A_ female? How many do you own?"

"About five." He avoided the kitsune's gaze. "I don't settle for whatever willing female comes my way."

Youko shrugged. He went to the kitchen counter that was piled high with food. At one end was a cage filled with small animals. He dipped his hand into that cage and took hold of two Makai rabbits. He snapped their necks and began eating them as he walked back to Hiei. "What do your concubines say about my playthings?"

"That you spoil them. They walk all over you—a sure sign that you're a weakling."

"I'm not a weakling. It's just not in my blood to fight females. Besides… do you know how many I own? If they all happened to attack me at once I would barely be able to hold my ground."

"Feh, quit being so modest. I saw you on the battlefield with all those demons. You can win against far more than the small number of females you have." Hiei stood up. "Karasu told me to pass on a message. He wants to see you in the main chambers whenever you get done eating."

Youko watched with sympathy as the fire demon walked away. If he (Youko) hadn't come along then he(Hiei) would probably be living a better life right now. He smiled at the thought of Hiei nestled in between a group of girls. At least Hiei had someone to take his pain away. He laughed.

* * *

"You needed me for something?" Youko asked. He glanced around the chamber, appreciating the rich furnishings. It was something only a thief such as him could fully appreciate.

"Sit down," Karasu's voice floated in.

Youko looked around. There was a group of plush chairs drawn around a large round table. It was easily capable of sitting at least 30 people, but only three chairs were gathered together. He sniffed each chair carefully, checking to make sure there was nothing wrong with them. He chose one and sat in it. He created a perch for his chin with his laced fingers. He was curious about what was going on.

"Are you sure you want me to help in this? I'm not much of a thief."

"Don't be an idiot. You'll do fine. More to the point, I recorded the meeting you had with the Reikai prince. The ferry girl…what was her name?"

"I'm not sure."

"Whatever it was, she seemed smitten with you."

Youko saw Karasu and a strange demon walk in.

The strange demon smirked at what Karasu had said. "Smitten with me you say? How couldn't she be?" He touched the brim of his hat. "I told you that the hat would do me some good."

Karasu raised his slim shoulders in an amused shrug. "Perhaps it wasn't the hat… Either way, the whole matter is rather interesting. Reikai ensures that their ferry girls don't have run-ins with demons. A human/demon birth will lead to massive complications if any relationship gets to that level. And I also know that the ferry-girls are meant to be _pure_."

The demon with the hat and bat wings cocked his head at the remark. "Pure? Nothing is pure anymore." He nodded a greeting to the fox demon. "You must be Karasu's thief. You're Youko Kurama." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, that is who I am. Who are you?"

"Kuronue. I've been working with this lunatic for quiet a while now."

Youko focused a scrutinizing gaze on Kuronue. He was handsome and was obviously aware of it. Every action showed that he was confident with his looks.

If Kuronue was aware of the fox demon staring at him, he didn't show it. Instead of returning the challenging gaze, he looked to Karasu. "How did you get _him_ in on this? He's the highest on the Reikai's Most Wanted list."

Karasu crossed his arms gracefully. "He fell for one of my traps and the rest was up to my _gentle_ persuasion."

"Gentle my ass," the bat demon scoffed with an amused grin. He sat down in the chair beside Youko. "Tell him our little plan."

The crow demon obliged. "Now Youko, my pet, you know that we've arranged your little battle with the Spirit Detective. Both Kuronue and I decided that we'd get the ferry girl with ease."

"Then why get me involved in this if the two of you have this planned?"

"I'm sure you have your mind set on…eh…_taming_ the ferry girl, correct? But at the moment, she has only seen Kuronue. Her reaction towards him was purely positive. This means that we can easily lure her willingly into our midst."

"I understand what you're saying. But if Kuronue is the one to befriend her, what chance would I possibly have to persuade her to become my new play thing?"

"You're the one with the kitsune-charm…_you_ figure out how to do this." Karasu focused an amused gaze on his favorite thief. "But this isn't the point. We need you to get the Spirit Detective. You have to put him in submission, but do not kill him. Once he's unconscious, bring him here. Kuronue will take the girl here. Then you can test her out…defile the girl to your heart's desire."

Kuronue crossed his arms on the table and leaned towards Youko. "The girl interests me and she _is_ a pretty human. If she doesn't fit your expectations, I'd gladly take her off of your hands."

The smile on his handsome face was pure amusement. Youko glowered at the smile. "We'll see," he replied in a gruff voice.

Karasu laid a hand on the bat-demon's shoulders. "We aren't here to convert a pure ferry girl into a simple Makai whore. A girl this rare is a delicate thing. It isn't often that a girl such as this can walk into our clutches. If the leaders of the Black Market offer a high price for the girl, neither of you are to get her."

"Why can't we be a non-profit organization for once?" Kuronue complained. "You said so yourself—how often does a ferry girl appeal to us? The other ones were never this pretty or feisty. Fuck those rich scumbags! We need to have fun too. _You_ need to have fun."

"I'll have my fun when the time comes," Karasu retorted. His violet eyes caught Youko's gaze and held it. "I enjoy depriving myself until the perfect person and moment arrives. Only then will my 'fun' come…and I feel that I don't have much more to wait."

Youko forced himself to look away. Something about Karasu's words made him think that those words were directed towards him. He shuddered and stared furiously at the stone tabletop. He still hated the way Karasu made him feel like a weakling.

Kuronue hadn't thought too far into Karasu's words. "You're a freak. Has anyone ever told you that?" he joked.

Karasu ignored the remark and looked at both Kuronue and Karasu. "Then it's settled. In a week's time, the meeting with the Spirit Detective will be arranged. Both the detective and the girl will be in our hands, each a step closer to happiness and more money."

* * *

Yusuke slammed his fists into the punching bag. He gritted his teeth in anger. "Why the hell am I the one that has to do this?!" He continued to punch it as hard as he could. Sweat streamed into his eyes. He paused and ran his arm across his forehead. He brushed his sodden bangs back. He looked back over his shoulder.

Botan sat in the bleachers with her legs crossed. Her fingers were toying with the necklace. She had been watching Yusuke train in his school's gym with little enthusiasm. Her mind had been drifting to the strange demon in the screen and it made her frown. Demons were stereotypically horrible, _ugly_ creatures. The demon with the bat wings was good looking…almost _too_ good-looking to be real. He hadn't been too rude either. He seemed to have a gentleman's manners.

She chewed on her lower lip in deep thought. Why did she suddenly feel so drawn to demons after the strange dream she had? She couldn't understand it. All she knew was that there was a barrier between Makai, Reikai and Ningenkai for a reason. It ensured balance and kept cross-breeding from happening. What was so wrong with finding a demon attractive? She was sure there was an exception to everything. There must be _some_ demons that were an exception. Not all of them could be full of only blood lust. She was certain that she'd be able to find a demon who was capable of loving someone.

Yusuke blinked his chocolate brown eyes at the pretty deity. There was something about her that he never noticed before. He had noticed when he first saw her that she was a lovely creature, but now, somehow, she seemed _gorgeous_. Now there was something about her that made him stare at her…something that made his thoughts melt away and his jaw drop.

He shook his head to clear his mind but he found it harder to get her out of his thoughts every time he looked at her. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

Botan felt the weight of someone staring at her. She raised her eyes and noticed Yusuke's chocolate brown eyes were glued on her. "Why are you staring at me?" she demanded.

It took her sharp words to pull Yusuke out of his reverie. "Who's staring?" he argued. His cheeks were burning with shame. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Botan and all he could do was argue with her. He leaped into the bleachers and sat close to Botan. "Sorry," he apologized. "This whole training is working on my nerves. I'm worried about fucking it up. If I lose, both of us are going to be stuck with demons. I don't want to be responsible for hurting you."

Botan gazed at him with sympathy. His words touched her. "You'll do fine—I'm sure of it."

"Yeah. Let's hope I don't screw this one up." He flashed the deity a childish grin. "But I'm a Spirit Detective after all. No one has beaten me yet!"

Botan nodded. "Maybe the demons you have to fight will be a pushover."

"Nah. I doubt that. That guy warned me to train up some, right? In a few weeks time they could easily find some huge muscle-head."

"And…that's bad, right?"

"Yes and no. The muscle-head will be really strong so I'll have to be on my guard. But on the other hand, you can't have a lot of muscles and be really fast. I have an advantage."

"I hope you're right," she murmured. Secretly, she was hoping he'd lose. She knew how wrong it was to hope the worst for her friend, but the demon in the screen made her curious. She had never been too close to a demon that looked quite like that one. He seemed nicer than the other demons she had watched Yusuke fight and of course the fact that he was good-looking was a bonus. If Yusuke lost, she would be able to prove to Koenma that not all demons were cold-hearted creatures who searched to fulfill their blood and carnal lusts.

_'I'll show them all,'_ she thought in determination. _'Then Koenma _has_ to give me that three week vacation!'_

But this wasn't merely about a three-week vacation to a luxurious spa next to an ocean. Something told her that she would find something much better than a relaxing retreat if Yusuke lost the match.

* * *

Thank you to each and every one of you that reviewed my last chapter! You're the people that encourage me to update! Here's the reviewers in the order you reviewed:

**Dragonbabe:** I think Kuronue is the right spelling, but don't ask me. And it's ok if you can't come up with a 'concubine'. Glad you enjoy it so far!

**Miyako14:** Yes! It was Kuronue! He seems pretty cool so I'm gonna use him. Thanks for reviewing.

**Psychopath143:** Yes, Kuronue is supposed to be dead, but so is Karasu. I like both of them and both get so little recognition nowadays.

**Spoonerific:** Closet-supporter? What is that?! Or should I just not ask? O.O' Yes, it was Kuronue—who else could it be? Thanks for your review.

**DarkShadowWriter:** They aren't really slave girls, really…they're more like concubines rather than slaves. Besides, it's not like they're with Youko against their will, right? YES! You got it! It's Kuronue! You like him too? That's good! Thanks for the review!

**Xen the Wonder Dog**: A Botan/Karasu pairing? That might be in a different fic, but in this, there may be some Botan/Karasu fluff….if you can imagine Karasu being 'fluffy'. Your fics are great! How can you read MY drivel after what you write? I haven't reviewed much of your stuff (sorry) but I've read it. They're all great! Update something of yours!!!

**KuramaandHiei4ever:** Well, I just hope you enjoyed my chapters. It's ok if you didn't review, k?

**Conspiring against me:** No imagination? Now you can't be pessimistic. I'm sure you do. Thanks for leaving me a review!

**Prettynutter:** At least you reviewed. Reviews matter to me because it tells me what I'm doing right and wrong.

**Ame no kodomo:**Yep! It's Kuronue! Do you like him? I hope so!

**Volpone:**A five-some? ::gasp:: What's wrong with you woman! This is a family fic… ok, not really. But that would be strange, wouldn't it? You like the personality I gave Kuronue? That means a lot coming from you! Thanks!

**Furi Iki:** Yup! It's Kuronue. And I agree, he is cool but Kurama is my absolute fav. After that, I don't know who I like best: Karasu, Kuronue, Hiei, Touya… hmm…this is hard. Thanks for your review!

**Gippal:** You liked the part when Kuronue said that? I thought it was funny too and it's true, isn't it? Karasu is so scary and sadistic…but at the same time it's frighteningly sexy. Whoo….I've got issues don't I? Glad you enjoy this! Here's a new chapter too, so soon after you reviewed too!

**Thanks for the reviews!**


	7. Kuronue's Warning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except this fic and the mind that helped me write this useless drivel. Flames are encouraged. If you choose to flame, please give me a reason for the flame.

* * *

Several weeks later, Karasu rounded Youko and Kuronue into the meeting room. "Guess what today is," Karasu demanded. He put his hands, palms down, on the round table. He looked eagerly at both of them, wondering if either of them remembered what would happen on this glorious day. His jet-black hair was tossed carelessly over his slender shoulders.

Kuronue yawned. His bat wings stretched and settled back into place. "Is it time for your yearly bath? If that's the case, I'm sure as hell not going to play spectator to that."

The violet-eyed demon raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get such a foolish idea? I happen to bathe once a week." The corner of his eyes crinkled, playing along with the bat demon's joke. He _did_ bathe more than once a day. How else was his long hair going to stay so shiny? He wasn't like Youko who had natural clean and silky hair.

"On a more serious note," he continued, "that isn't what I speak of." He nodded at his favorite thief. "Do you have a more rational answer?"

Youko smirked as Kuronue wrinkled his nose and began to toy with his pendant. In these few weeks, the fox demon had actually come to respect this newcomer that seemed to be hyper and calm at the same time. His sarcasm was well appreciated. The two had become close—they had actually become friends, if demons could form bonds of friendship. He turned his golden gaze to meet the violet gaze of Karasu. He racked his mind, thinking of what event could possibly excite Karasu this much.

"Might today be the day when I go against the human Spirit Detective?" he asked.

"You happen to be correct." The corners of his violet eyes crinkled, showing that he was smiling behind his the mask that covered his nose and mouth. "I'm assuming you know how to stop him."

"Stop him?" Youko tossed his silver hair over his shoulder. "Please. He's a human. Even if he's a Spirit Detective, there isn't a possible way for him to escape my plants." As if in response vines inched their way across the stone table to flick at Kuronue's ruby pendant.

Kuronue snatched the pendant out of the vines way. "Hey, watch it!"

Karasu flicked a stray lock of jet-black hair out of his face. "For your sake, lets hope so. You don't want to know what will happen if you fail this mission." He turned his back on them and left, a sign that the meeting was adjourned for now.

Youko raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was another one of the crow's sadistic jokes or if he was serious. He glanced at his friend to see how he was reacting. To his amazement, the bat demon wasn't wearing a sarcastic smile. He was looking intently back at him, his cobalt eyes flickering with a strange emotion.

"If you know what's good for you, _don't_ fuck this up," Kuronue murmured.

Then it hit the kitsune. It was obvious that the raven-haired demon only wanted him to succeed so Botan could be within easy reach. Youko snorted. "The only drawback would be that you wouldn't get the ferry girl. Is that all you're worried about? If you want sex, grab a concubine of your own."

The bat demon didn't wink at the suggestion. The mix between a glare and gaze didn't change. The expression hardened causing his handsome face to darken. "I'm not talking about sex. I'm talking about what Karasu will do if you don't. If you're lucky, he'll kill you."

"And if I'm _not_ lucky?"

"You'll never be yourself again." His features seemed to darken even further. "You think that the torturing would be the worst, but it's the way he does things. If he only hurt you, you would be fine…"

Youko stared at him in confusion. Surely the Kuronue he had gotten to know in the past few days didn't know anything about this. He was too nonchalant with the way things were. It was like nothing bothered him. But hearing him now? "How would you know these things?"

"It was over 10 years ago when I met Karasu." The darkness faded away a little. Kuronue sat down in a chair beside his friend. He pushed his hat back and gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. "I recently became a thief. I had to do something to provide for myself. My parents abandoned me you see. I was desperate to do anything for food and shelter. Pretty soon I became a master thief. I could steal even the most priceless treasure and get away with it. I know you understand how it feels to be a thief at such a high level."

Youko nodded his agreement.

"That's how it was. I felt like nothing and nobody could stop me. But I ran into Karasu. He lured me in the same way he must have done to you. I worked for him. Even though I was allowed to do whatever I wanted, I was still a slave. I didn't have a choice about completing his missions. One day I was unable to complete one…"

* * *

#####** Flashback** #####

Karasu stood with his slender arms crossed over his chest. "Don't fail me. It's a simple mission for a thief of your caliber…unless your life has only been a joke." He raised an insinuating eyebrow at the young demon before him.

"What do I have to do this time?" Kuronue sighed heavily. He was tired. He had been on missions nonstop for several weeks now. He was exhausted.

"You must go through the portal into Reikai. Steal the dark items and give them to me. We'll sell it back to them for thrice the price."

The bat demon groaned. He flinched. It was too late to take it back. He knew that Karasu wouldn't have anything to do with complaining. He folded his leathery wings tightly against his body.

"Was that a groan? Do you have something against the way I run things? Perhaps I can turn you in to Reikai. I'm sure they'd pay a pretty price to have the opportunity to lop off a limb."

"N-no! I didn't mean to. I'm just so tired. I hadn't had a chance for a good rest in almost a month."

"Feh. You're a weakling just like the rest. Come. Follow me."

Kuronue shivered nervously. He stared blindly into the dark room, searching for an escape if he was locked in. Karasu laughed at the demon's young fear.

"You're afraid. That's good. You know, that's what I like about you younger demons. You know fear. It's delicious…" He laughed again. He grabbed Kuronue's wrists and attached chains to them. The chains were looped through a metal ring that was firmly attached to the metal ceiling. "See that? No escape. Nobody can hear you scream too. Scream all you'd like—in fact I'd prefer if you do."

The bat demon stared fearfully at Karasu. He had only heard dark rumors of what the crow did to his captives. He closed his eyes when he saw Karasu move close to him.

The crow demon smiled. "I want you to look at me." He touched Kuronue's face. "Look at me. Haven't you ever wondered what I hide behind this mask of mine? What do you think lays behind it?"

Kuronue opened his cobalt eyes. He figured that the crow had some sort of disfiguration. He looked curiously at him. Karasu took the mask off. Strangely, there was nothing wrong with him. His lips had an almost feminine curve to them. With his lower face revealed, his face only showed a delicate bone structure. It was chillingly handsome.

He flashed him a cool smile. "Surprised?" He swept a scrutinizing gaze over Kuronue's body. "I'm used to tormenting people with their clothes removed. It makes them feel all the more helpless…but since I'm partial to you, I'll respect your pride and keep your clothes on. Unless you prefer otherwise."

"N-no."

He ran the tips of his fingers down Kuronue's cheeks. "You're so young…it'd be such a waste to kill you. You'll be good to me in the future, correct?" He smiled when the younger demon nodded. "Of course I'm correct. You aren't in a position to argue with me." He held up his right hand. Green light erupted around them like rain. All of it moved closer to the younger demon. As soon as Kuronue leaned away from Karasu's fingers, one of the green orbs exploded. He screamed out in painful surprise.

"Scream all you like. I enjoy hearing it." He chortled and pressed his lips against the vein in Kuronue's throat. He felt the fast pace of Kuronue's pulse against his lips. "I can almost taste your fear and pain…" One by one, he let the green orbs explode. They were all very close to becoming a mortal wound, but Karasu was very skilled. He knew what area hurt the most but wasn't lethal and he knew where the major areas were that could kill you. He had been doing this for a long time.

"You won't disobey me anymore, will you?" he asked calmly, watching as the demon before him cried out in pain with each successive hit.

"No, sir!" Kuronue moaned. Tears of shame and pain flooded down his cheeks.

######** End Flashback** #####

* * *

Youko gaped at his friend. "How can you act the way you do now after undergoing such things?!"

"After he hurts you like that, he won't do it again. Everything is fine between the two of us. Since I survived, he respects me now. That's why I'm able to joke with him…but I'll still never be the same. I was happier before I ran into him." He smiled sadly and returned to playing with his pendant. "I wouldn't recommend pissing him off. You don't want to know what I had to go through. Trust me on this. So just win this thing and you'll be fine."

Youko ignored the urge to flinch at this warning.

* * *

**Thank you to each and every one of you that reviewed my last chapter! You're the people that encourage me to update! Here's the reviewers in the order you reviewed:**

**Volpone:** Well, a fivesome would be…a little strange, even though you would enjoy it. Poor poor perverted little Volpone. Lol I'm glad you find Karasu's personality to be charming. Thanx!

**KuramaandHiei4ever:** You enjoyed it? Thanx! This chapter is kinda pointless, but maybe you can still enjoy it? I think it's kind of psycho…especially Karasu. He's a sadist! ::hides under bed::

**Miyako14:** Thanks! Glad you enjoyed! Here's another chapter for ya!

**Psychopath143:** I barely even KNOW Kuronue, but I've seen him used and Volpone filled me in on who he is. I probably won't portray him too well, but I'm trying!

**Ame no kodomo:**Yep! I updated all right! Hope you enjoy this chappie too! O.O I hope I didn't leave you hanging for too long! So sorry if I did! School is pretty hectic with homework this year!

**Teef:** No prob! Here ya go, I updated!

**Spoonerific:** Well, it sort of explains how Kuronue can get away with calling Karasu a freak. Lol. You dunno what a closet supporter is? That's ok cuz I don't either!

**Licensed to Kill:** You changed your penname again! That's ok. So you think it's not drivel? Thanks so much! You flatter me. ::blush::

**Gippal:** I agree with you on Kuronue, but I think I like both of them. ::grins:: Karasu is so sadistic…how can you resist that? Lol.

**Prettynutter:** Thanks!

**Thanks for the reviews!**


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